


Lover Tell Me

by secretsolarsystem



Category: Hadestown - Mitchell, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anakin as Orpheus, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Hadestown AU, Love at First Sight, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Obi-Wan as Eurydice, Qui-Gon as Hermes, Song fic, TWO songs can u believe???, and one (1) sweet kiss, i guess, idk what else 2 tag :)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:06:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28208028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/secretsolarsystem/pseuds/secretsolarsystem
Summary: Anakin is working on a song to bring back the spring. Qui-Gon is watching over him to ensure he is safe. Obi-Wan is trying to make it through this cold, callous world.Then, Anakin sees Obi-Wan. Now, Anakin is proposing to Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon is watching amusedly. Obi-Wan is wondering what the fuck is going on.(or: Hadestown AU with Anakin and Obi-Wan as Orpheus and Eurydice)
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker, Qui-Gon Jinn & Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 7
Kudos: 35





	1. Come Home With Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve re-entered by Hadestown phase, and this idea has been living in my head rent free…this fic is based off two songs from the musical Hadestown by Anaïs Mitchell, and each chapter’s title is the song it’s based off of. all the dialogue (with some adjustments of course) is basically the lyrics from the songs!

It had always been easy to pick up on Anakin’s moods, ever since he was a young boy. Qui-Gon had no trouble deciphering the angry scowls he wore, or the sad downturn of his lips, or the elated brightness of his eyes. The current flush of his cheeks, the twinkle in his eyes, the gasp escaping his lips, and the slight tremor of his hands were just as easy to identify: poor Anakin had fallen in love - at first sight, of course. Anakin was the paradigm of a naive, optimistic romantic, so Qui-Gon was not surprised at all when Anakin had taken one look at the man across the way and was immediately enamored.

He watched fondly as the railroad station continuing to bustle about Anakin while he stood in place, staring longingly at the man. He was seated, pulling a tattered coat tighter to his body, shivering as he sought warmth. His auburn hair was falling into his eyes, his beard in need of a trim. _Of course young, sweet Anakin would fall for a rugged, probably callous man_ , Qui-Gon thought to himself. _The man doesn’t stand a chance_. Realizing he was waiting in vain for Anakin to do something, _anything_ \- talk to the man, talk to Qui-Gon himself, or simply get back to work, even - Qui-Gon took a step closer behind Anakin.

“You wanna talk to him?” he asked, following Anakin’s line of sight over his shoulder to the man in question.

“Yes,” Anakin breathed, voice laced with want and excitement.

“Go on,” Qui-Gon encouraged. Anakin took an eager step forward, and knowing Anakin’s… approach to most matters, Qui-Gon called out, “Anakin.”

Stopping but not turning around, seeming unable to take his eyes off the man, Anakin answered, sounding as though in a daze, “Yes?”

As kindly as possible, Qui-Gon advised, “Don’t come on _too_ strong.”

With a nod, Anakin strode up confidently to the man’s table, Qui-Gon following at a reasonable distance; he didn’t want to miss this. The man looked up at Anakin with a look that suggested he didn’t know why this tall man with wild curls and a red bandana tied around his neck was beaming down at him, but he wasn’t a fan of it. Anakin opened his mouth to speak, and Qui-Gon eagerly waited to hear how he’d approach the man he so desired.

“Come home with me.” It wasn’t a demand, but a confident suggestion. Qui-Gon pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment. So much for not coming on too strong; the boy didn’t even _introduce himself_. He should have known this would be Anakin’s form of subtlety. Opening his eyes again, he saw the man frowning up at Anakin, leaning away and ready to bolt. Qui-Gon didn’t blame him; he didn’t know that Anakin was young and optimistic, and not simply a psychotic station employee.

“Who are you?” the man asked. His tone wasn’t nervous or rude, per se, but he seemed as though he didn’t really care what the answer to his question would be. The man simply wanted to know why this stranger waltzed up to him to invite him home. Qui-Gon noticed the way Anakin’s shoulders relaxed and his smile turned dopey at the sound of the man’s voice.

“The man who’s gonna marry you,” Anakin said assuredly, making Qui-Gon slap his face into his palm and making the man lean further away. “I’m Anakin.”

The man must have noticed that Qui-Gon knew Anakin and was invested in the current situation, because he turned to him and asked, “Is he always like this?”

Throwing a fond gaze Anakin’s way, who was still refusing to look away from the ginger man, he answered, “Yes.”

With a nod, the man turned back to Anakin and continued to level him with a bemused look. “I’m Obi-Wan.”

Eyes fluttering shut, Anakin sighed, “Your name is like a melody.”

Rolling his eyes and settling further into his seat, Obi-Wan knowingly said, “A singer, is that what you are?”

Blinking at the man, Anakin motioned to the instrument that was resting against the wall. “I also play the lyre.”

“Oh,” the man said, a mirthless smirk on his face, “a liar _and_ a player, too.” He shook his head and pulled his coat tight once more, turning his eyes to the table before him. “I’ve met too many men like you,” he muttered.

“Oh, no,” Anakin said quickly, eyes wide and head shaking fervently. Qui-Gon could easily see what was going through Anakin’s head: _Oh, no, I said the wrong thing! He can’t hate me, he can’t! We’re supposed to be married!_ “I’m not like that,” he assured, balling his hands into fists. Whether or not he did this out of anxiety or to keep himself from pouncing on the man, Qui-Gon couldn’t be sure, but Anakin did seem desperate for this man to understand that his intentions were pure.

“He’s not like any man you’ve met,” Qui-Gon added gently, wanting to both defend Anakin and put him out of his misery. He knew that Anakin was a _lot_ , head in the clouds and always assuming the best of every person and situation despite the cruel world they lived in, but that was what Qui-Gon admired about the young man. He had been close with Anakin’s mother, and after her death, Qui-Gon took Anakin under his wing as though he was his own son. All Qui-Gon wanted was for Anakin to be happy, and it seemed this man made him the happiest he had seen him in a long time.

Seeking a topic in which Anakin could show off his talent and good heart, Qui-Gon turned to Anakin and prompted, “Tell him what you’re working on.”

Anakin’s eyes lit up and he nodded, stating proudly, “I’m working on a song.” With a slight flush, he added, “It isn’t finished yet, but when it’s done, and when I sing it, spring will come again.”

The man, Obi-Wan, looked up to Anakin once more, raising a skeptical eyebrow. “Come again?” he asked flatly, requesting that Anakin repeat himself because he clearly did not believe that he had heard Anakin correctly.

“Spring will come,” Anakin said, fully confident. He was smiling brightly again, in part from talking about his song and the spring, but Qui-Gon was sure that most of it was because Obi-Wan was looking at him again.

Despite Anakin’s boisterous nature, Obi-Wan scoffed, “When? I haven’t seen a spring or fall since…” His voice trailed off and he seemed to look through Anakin, eyes seeing a place far beyond the railroad station they were in. A sadness, a hopelessness seemed to take over his face as he finished, “I can’t recall.”

Unswayed by Obi-Wan’s desolation, Anakin grabbed the back of the empty chair next to the man and nodded at him. “That’s what I’m working on.” His smile was blinding, his eyes shining with pride and _hope_ , a rare find nowadays. “A song, to fix what’s wrong. Take what’s broken and, and make it whole.” Now Anakin’s gaze went far away, although his was more dream-like, looking to a place of birds and blooms to come rather than those lost. “A song, so beautiful,” his voice was almost a whisper now, “it brings the world back into tune, back into time. And all the flowers will bloom,” he turned his gaze to Obi-Wan, his smile somehow both shy and assured, and concluded, “when you become my husband.”

Obi-Wan seemed to have been wrapped up in Anakin’s promises of spring, watching him speak with rapt attention. At Anakin’s last statement, however, the man was snapped out of his reverie and turned to Qui-Gon with wide eyes. When Qui-Gon simply blinked at him, seeing as this was typical of Anakin, Obi-Wan nodded and said, “Oh, he’s crazy,” as if he had just figured Anakin out. Qui-Gon shrugged; that description wasn’t accurate, per se, but it wasn’t totally inaccurate, either. With an incredulous shake of his head, Obi-Wan asked him, “Why would I become his husband?”

Qui-Gon smiled knowingly. He could tell what kind of man Obi-Wan was, what kind of life he had. This was a man who had only known cold, a spring stolen; promises both empty and broken; favors only given in return for sacrifice. He had never known kindness, had never known the pleasure of enjoying the riches of spring without worry, had never known what it was to have a home. He had never known Anakin. “Maybe,” Qui-Gon suggested, “because he’ll make you feel alive.”

He watched as the amused resistance to Anakin’s attempts at romance and the pessimistic denial of spring ever returning left Obi-Wan’s face. All that was left in the man’s expression was defeat. He was defeated by the world, yes, but he was defeated by this golden man before him and his wise guardian. He could not be cold and callous; he _wanted_ to feel alive, and he felt the most alive he had in years in the short time he’d spoken to this annoyingly hopeful man at the station.

“Alive?” he asked quietly, cautiously. Qui-Gon nodded. With a tilt of his head, Obi-Wan admitted, “That’s worth a lot.” After fixing an assessing gaze on Anakin, Obi-Wan finally gave him a small smirk and stood, taking a step to stand right in front of him, chests nearly touching. Qui-Gon noted how Anakin’s breath caught and his gaze melted into hope and longing, while Obi-Wan looked up into Anakin’s eyes amusedly. “What else you got?” Obi-Wan challenged. Qui-Gon smiled at the same time Anakin did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk why I always write Anakin as immediately falling in love w Obi-Wan but that’s how Orpheus actually is so this time it’s valid <3  
> I’ve been researching and outlining for a long, plot-focused fic I want to write but it’s very daunting to even begin so in the mean time…cute fics LOL. I hope to have the next chapter up soon! :D


	2. Wedding Song

A challenge still in his eyes and amusement in his smirk, Obi-Wan teased, “Lover tell me, if you can, who’s gonna buy the wedding bands?” He was asking as if he had already stumped Anakin and foiled his plans for marriage, and as if he was pleased by such a victory. “Times being what they are,” he continued, “hard and getting harder all the time.”

Not one to back down from a challenge, especially when the challenge was destined to be his husband, Anakin smiled as he answered. “Lover,” he began, and Qui-Gon noted the pleasure in Anakin’s face as the word rolled off his lips, “when I sing my song, all the rivers will sing along. And they’re gonna break their banks for us, and with their gold be generous.” Obi-Wan scoffed and somehow managed to nod sarcastically, clearly not believing Anakin; at least now he was amused and possibly even enamored by him, rather than scared or annoyed. “All a-flashing in the pan, all to fashion for your hand” Anakin continued, eyes seeming to sparkle with the gold he was promising. Finally answering Obi-Wan’s question, Anakin declared, “The rivers are gonna give us the wedding bands.”

Obi-Wan shrugged and nodded, as if to suggest that he would accept Anakin’s answer even though he still thought it was nothing more than nonsense. With a hum, Obi-Wan turned to walk back towards his chair, trailing his finger along the table as he walked. “Lover tell me, if you’re able, who’s gonna lay the wedding table?” Looking up at Anakin with a raised brow, Obi-Wan clarified, “Times, being what they are: dark and getting darker all the time.”

“Lover,” Anakin answered happily, dreamily, “when I sing my song, all the trees are gonna sing along and they’re gonna bend their branches down.” Obi-Wan rolled his eyes not unkindly, chuckling as he continued to walk around the table and Anakin followed his steps. “To lay their food upon the ground,” he explained, listing, “the almond and the apple, and the sugar from the maple.” He gestured dramatically with his arms as he stalked Obi-Wan around the table, all while never taking his eyes off of him. “The trees,” he spoke confidently, “are gonna lay the wedding table.

Stopping behind a chair, Obi-Wan fully faced Anakin, who also stopped behind the chair directly across from Anakin. While Anakin smiled at him, assured and optimistic, Obi-Wan gave him an appraising look. “So when you sing your song, the one you’re working on,” Obi-Wan began, pausing as Anakin looked at him with rapt attention, “spring will… come again?”

“Yes,” Anakin breathed, nodding fervently.

“Why don’t you sing it then?” It wasn’t a challenge or a dare; it was simply a question.

Blushing and faltering for a moment, Anakin brought his hands together and fidgeted with his fingers. “It isn’t finished,” he supplied softly.

“Sing it,” Obi-Wan said, now a challenge and a dare. Anakin simply gave Obi-Wan a pleading look, which only seemed to make Obi-Wan smirk. “You wanna take me home?” he asked, voice deep and smooth.

Cheeks flushing to a much deeper shade, Anakin’s voice was low but sure as he answered, “Yes.”

Lifting his head and straightening his shoulders, Obi-Wan demanded, “Sing the song.”

With a deep sigh and moment’s hesitation, Anakin nodded and stepped back, closing his eyes. Obi-Wan watched with what could be considered bored amusement as Anakin relaxed his body. Then, he began singing. It was a haunting song, the tune piercing directly to the soul. The wound, however, was immediately soothed by the balm that was Anakin’s voice. As he sang, the ground beneath him seemed to shift, allowing him to seemingly walk on air towards Obi-Wan as the earth rose and fell to carry him along the way.

Qui-Gon watched proudly, knowing that this was Anakin’s skill, his talent, his power, and that he wielded it with grace and kindness. Anakin was most likely the last hope this world had, seeing as it had been robbed of its seasons bearing the gifts of warmth and fruit and the pleasures of life. Obi-Wan must have seen this power and potential too, if the awe in his features was anything to go by. He was gripping the back of the chair before him with white knuckles, mouth slack as it fell open, eyebrows raised and eyes wide and bright as he watched the way Anakin’s song literally moved the earth around them.

As the melody came to its end, Anakin was atop the table Obi-Wan was standing next to. When he opened his hand, a single red flower suddenly appeared. No longer singing, Anakin snapped his eyes open and immediately dropped to a knee, offering the flower to Obi-Wan.

Still seeming to be caught in a state of disbelief, although now it was out of astonishment and not skepticism, Obi-Wan slowly reached out his hand and took the offering, bringing it to his nose and inhaling deeply. Eyes momentarily fluttering shut, Obi-Wan sighed at the first smell of a fresh flower he had probably enjoyed in who knows how long.

Opening his eyes to look between Anakin and the flower, Obi-Wan asked softly, “How’d you do that?”

“I don’t know,” Anakin answered honestly, looking down at Obi-Wan intently, still kneeling on the table. “The song’s not finished, though.”

“Even so, it can do this?” Obi-Wan shook his head incredulously, looking down at the flower.

Anakin followed his gaze and smiled softly. “I know.”

Looking up at Anakin with a newfound determination, Obi-Wan declared fiercely, “You have to finish it!” Anakin perked up in surprise at Obi-Wan’s sudden enthusiasm, and scrambled to stand as Obi-Wan quickly pulled the chair out to step onto it and then the table, nearly pressing himself against Anakin. With an elated smile, Obi-Wan asked, “Lover tell me, when we’ll wed, who’s gonna make the wedding bed?” Anakin smiled brightly at Obi-Wan’s words, even when he continued, “Times being what they are, hard and getting harder all the time?”

Without missing a beat, Anakin beamed at Obi-Wan as he answered, “Lover, when I sing my song, all the birds are gonna sing along, and they’ll come flying from all around to lay their feathers on the ground.” Surely caught up in his excitement, Anakin wrapped his hands around Obi-Wan’s that held the flower. With a pleased grin, Qui-Gon noted that Obi-Wan didn’t so much as flinch at the sweet touch. Voice almost a whisper, so that the promise belonged only to him and Obi-Wan, Anakin continued, “And we’ll lie down in the eiderdown, a pillow ‘neath our heads. The birds are gonna make the wedding bed.”

Voice and gaze as soft as Anakin’s, Obi-Wan supplied, “And the trees are gonna lay the wedding table.”

Visibly elated by Obi-Wan’s clear display of happiness and intrigue and _affection_ , Anakin couldn’t help the stupid smile on his face. “And the rivers are gonna give us the wedding bands,” he confirmed. With a single loud bark of laughter, Obi-Wan placed his other hand atop Anakin’s and leaned in to press a kiss to his smiling lips. Allowing himself to be surprised by the action only for a moment, Anakin sighed and returned the kiss.

Qui-Gon, along with the rest of the station’s patrons, only looked on the two with happiness and fondness. Watching these two young lovers, one bursting with hope and brightness and the other seeming to grow warmer and brighter the longer they embraced, Qui-Gon couldn’t help the feeling of hope that grew in his own chest. He could only hope that their story would be one full of love and light, and with an ending of eternal happiness together. In the world they currently endured where hopes were rarely met, perhaps these two lovers could be the exception.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and then they…uhhh…..weren’t 😐 I hope this chapter read alright with the dialogue clearly being lyrics lol. thank u for indulging me and my hyper fixations, this was sooo therapeutic to write! to me this au couldn’t have been more fitting, bc whose love story is more tragic than Anakin and Obi-Wan’s????
> 
> (also, if anyone cares: I have a fun quick fic I’m gonna start working on and then hopefully I can finally start mapping out the daunting plot fic…wish me luck LOL. in the meantime, happy holidays to everyone who celebrates! wishing you warmth, light, health, and happiness 💚)


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